Michigan’s Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) Act is getting an update that takes effect in 2026. Public Act 229 of 2023 requires utilities like Cherryland to offer programs that help members use energy more efficiently.

A few years ago, Cherryland had a similar program with a 1% energy savings goal. The updated EWR Act, doubles that goal to 2%, with a 1.5% minimum required to comply with the law. Meeting these new requirements will involve some additional costs to administer expanded programs, which means we’ll need to include a small surcharge to help cover those costs.

While we’re expanding our offerings to meet these requirements, we’re excited about what this means for our members. We’re rolling out new opportunities to help you save, including an expanded rebate program, an online marketplace, low-income community solar options, and self-assessments with personalized energy-saving tools and recommendations.

At Cherryland, helping our members save energy and lower costs is always our goal—and these programs are another way we’re working to do just that.

At the September 2025 board meeting, Cherryland’s directors gave the green light to the MI PA-229 of 2023 Compliance surcharge, which kicks in on January 1, 2026.

We’ve designed the surcharge to be flexible, so members never pay more than necessary to meet this mandate. Below we’ve outlined the maximum, alongside the proposed implementation rate: